04 December 2023 , 21:51
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I'm A Celebrity's Tony Bellew says he stopped boxing because it is a "brutal and dangerous sport".
The 41-year-old retired after he was beaten in an eighth round knockout by Oleksandr Usyk in November 2018 as the pair battled for the undisputed world cruiserweight title. Other boxers may have continued for some more big pay days, but Tony insisted it was the right time to go.
Campmate Nella Rose asked Tony: “How come you retired from boxing?” Tony replied: “My body stopped me. It’s so dangerous. It’s brutal. Boxing is the most damaging sport in the world…a professional boxer, it’s estimated that he will get hit in the head 50,000 times a year… that’s going to catch up with me at some point. I can accept that, I knew it when I got into it… I know what I’m signing up for.
Tony opened up on why he quit boxing to his I'm A Celebrity campmates (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)“If tomorrow I go into a coma because of the punches I’ve taken, that’s on me. That’s no-one else. I’m not suing no-one, it ain’t their fault.” Tony is thankful he got out of the sport without serious injury. He added: “I used to say to my wife, I’m going to get hurt at some point. She would know. You’ve got to accept.”
Ahead of last night's show, Tony was the new favourite to be crowned king of the jungle with bookmakers. ‘’Tony Bellew has been an extremely popular campmate since entering the jungle, and the viewing public seem to have really taken to the scouse boxer. He was 12-1 only a matter of days ago, but he now heads our betting at 6-5 to be crowned this year’s king of the jungle’’ said Coral’s Lewis Knowles.
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The former World Champ – who celebrated his birthday in the jungle on Thursday – has been entertaining the nation and his family during Bushtucker Trials. His wife Rachael says she and sons Corey, 18, Cobey, 15, Carter, 11, and Carson, three, have been glued to his antics.
She told The Mirror: “We’ve never watched any shows he’s done but we’re watching this. And the trials… I love watching him suffer! The eldest two are voting – they voted for him to do the drinking trial. I was very surprised at how well he did in that. He’s a very fussy eater and can’t take texture. It drives me insane. At least he now can’t say anything about me eating coleslaw, because he’s drunk a blended bull’s penis.”
Rachael admits the family have all been surprised at how well Tony – who reverted to his preferred name Anthony after retiring – has coped with the trials, even if he will be in for “a ribbing” when he gets home. She said: “Ant plays the macho man, but he’s a big softie. I bet he’s more scared than he looks in the trials. In the snake trial, you could tell he was petrified and I’m sure he’ll get a bit of ribbing for that when he gets out. But he’s not a quitter. Joking aside, we’re all really proud of him.”